Crate-fastening.



Patented Sept. 25, |900.

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(No Model.)

NITE-D STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

SYLVESTER WI-LL DAMN, QF MOUNT PLEASANT, TEXAS;

CRATE-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,349, datedseptember 25, 1906.

Application filed dune 27,1900. .Serial No. 21,824. (No model.,`

T0 all whom, it may concern/f Be it known that I, SYLvEs'rER WILL DA-MON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Pleasant, in thecounty of Titus and State of Texas, have invented a new and usefulCrate-Fastening, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to crates in general, and while it has beenparticularly designed as an egg-crate it will be understood from thefollowing description that the principles involved may be applied to acrate for any other purpose, the object of the invention being toprovide a construction wherein the top of the crate will be held firmlyin place and may yet be easily and quickly applied and removed, theresult being that after the contents of the crate have been removed thecover may be quickly secured in placeto prevent loss'of the cover duringthe return of the crate or the loss of any cellsthat may be placedtherein.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in bothviews, Figure lis a perspective View showing a crate having a cover provided with thefastening means. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken through a portionof the cover and showing the construction and arrangement of the lockingmeans.

Referring now to the drawings, the body portion of the crate is of usualconstruction and comprises sides 5 and 6 and ends 7 and 8, to which issecured the usual bottom.

The cover of the crate comprises end cleats 9 and 10, having a lengthequal to the width of the crate and to the upper edges of which arenailed or otherwise secured to top boards 11 and 12, these cleats whenthe cover is in place being adapted to rest'upon the crosspieces 0rcleats 13 and 14:, which are secured to the outer faces of the ends ofthe body of the crate and transversely thereof. 18 and 14 form also thehandles, by means of which the crate is lifted and carried.

In the ends of the crate-body and at suitable points above the cleats 13and 14 there are formed perforations 15, there being in the presentinstance two of these perforations in each end of the crate-body, andthese perforations are adapted for engagement bythe The cleatsVlocking-bolts which hold the cover in place. The locking-bolts inquestion consist of pins 16,` of which there are two for each end of thecrate, and these pins are adapted to slid= ably engage perforations 17in the cleats 9 and 10, which aline with the perforations 15 when thecover is in place.-

In order to hold the locking pins or bolts yieldably in their operativepositions,a spring= plate 18 is fixed midway of its ends to the outersurface of each of the cleats 9 and 10, the ends of this plate extendingbeyond the perforations in the sills and said plate being bowedoutwardly between its central attached portion and each end of theplate. At or near the ends of the spring-plates 18 are formedperforations, and with these perforations are engaged the outer ends ofthe pins or bolts 16, said pins or bolts having shoulders which restagainst the inner faces of the spring-plates, while their outer ends areupset against'the outer faces of the plates to hold the pins rigidly inplace. These pins and plates are-so connected and disposed that whenthe' pins are drawn from the alining perforations and released the pinswill not renter the perforaltions, but will strike the cleats 9 and 10beyond the perforations therein and will engage the recesses 20 at theouter sides of the perforations. These recesses also provideforpermitting insertion of the lingers beneath the ends of thespring-plates when the pins are to be disengaged.

With this construction it will be seen that the cover may be readilyapplied and removed and at the same time when the cover is in place itis held securely against accidental displacement, the entire devicebeing simple and cheap and extremely efficient in its operation.Furthermore, when the bolts are disengaged they automatically lockthemselves in their disengaged positions, so that the cover may bequickly slipped into place, after which the pins or bolts may beinserted to lock the cover on the crate.

It will be understood that in practice vari? ous modifications of theinvention shown may,

be made and that any suitable materials and proportions may be used forthe various parts without departing from the spirit of thev invention.

` It will be noted that when the pins are en- IOO gaged with theperforations the spring-plate is bowed, and when the pins are drawn fromsuch engagement the plates expand and hold the pins with their free endsin the recesses beyond the perforations. In order to rengage the pins,the plates must first be bowed. The pins are thus held locked whendisengaged, so that they will not prevent ready application of the coverto the crate.

What is claimed is- 1. The combination with a receptacle having alocking perforation of a cover having a perforation disposed to alinewith the perforation in the receptacle, a spring-plate xedto the coverand a pin fixed to the plate for engagement with the aliningperforations, the distance between the fixed point of the springplateand the point of attachment of the pin being greater when the pin isdisengaged, than the distance between the fixed point of thespring-plate and the perforation of the cover, whereby when the pin isengaged with the perforations the spring will be bowed, and when the pinis disengaged, the spring will hold it with its engaging end beyond theperforation of the-cover. i

2. The combination with a receptacle of a cover, said receptacle andcover having perforations for alinement, a plate Xed between its ends tothe cover, a pin engaged with each end of the plate and adapted forengagement with corresponding alining perforations, and recesses in thecover beyond the perforations thereof, said plate being adapted to holdthe pins in engagement with the recesses when disengaged from theperforations.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

sYLvEsTER WILL DAMoN.

Witnesses:

M. J WALLACE, E. J. LILIMAN.

